Susan's Return
by Mystic Mage-chan
Summary: Susan finally makes it to Narnia. Mostly told by Peter.


Susan had always been innocent. Not in the same way as Lucy, who always seemed young, but in the way that she was easily hurt, and impressionable. Peter remembered this.

Maybe that was why the real world had killed her. It told her that Narnia wasn't real. She couldn't stand up to it. Peter had heard her crying in her room at night, but she didn't know. He wondered if it would have helped her if he'd told her. Maybe he could have helped.

_Peter leaned against Susan's door. _

"_Aslan? Where are you? Why won't you come back for me?" Susan was sobbing. The sound was muffled; Peter guessed that she had her face buried in her pillow. "You took Lucy and Ed back again. Why not me and Peter? What does it matter how old we are? Aslan… I love you Aslan. And I love Narnia. Please come get me!_

That was the first time Peter had heard Susan cry, but not the last. The last time he had heard her was a few months before he, Lucy, and Edmund died and went to the true Narnia. Susan hadn't been on the train. She was still alive. But Aslan said she wouldn't come to Narnia when she died. He said she had forsaken Narnia. Peter knew this was wrong. He had heard her cry too many times because of not being allowed to come to believe Aslan.

Susan had never stopped loving Narnia. And Peter had never stopped loving Susan. Aslan called this the true Narnia, but if it was, Narnia was a much sadder and lonelier place than Peter had ever imagined. He, Edmund, Lucy, and Susan were the kings and queens of Narnia. The four of them, not the three. They were unbalanced, incomplete without their Gentle Queen Susan.

"Pete!" Lucy yelled. "It's time to hold court with Aslan!" She was standing at the base of the hill that Peter stood upon, Edmund next to her, both of them wearing their crowns. They wore them most of the time. Peter never wore his. He knew Aslan wished him to, but Aslan's wishes didn't feature high on Peter's list of cares anymore. Not since Aslan abandoned Susan.

"I'm not coming today," Peter told her.

"What?! But we have to go Peter! We're the kings and queens!"

"Kings and QUEEN you mean," he said bitterly.

"Lu, go to court. I'll be there in a minute," Edmund said. Lucy looked at him unhappily, and then turned and left. Edmund began climbing the hill.

"Pete, look," Edmund began.

"You're gonna tell me 'Aslan knows best,' right?" Peter spat.

"No," Edmund said. "Susan never abandoned Narnia. She never would. I know that, Lucy knows. Please come to court Peter. Aslan is not all knowing. He will learn when Susan dies. I talked to Aslan once, when we lived here in the Golden Age. He told me, he is not in complete control over who enters Narnia. He can call people here, but he can't keep someone deserving out. Susan will come. She is deserving."

Peter stared up at Edmund. "You mean, Aslan can't keep Su out? She'll be here?!"

"Yes. Yes, Pete," Edmund smiled. "Trust me."

**Peter's POV:**

It's been twenty years since I talked to Ed on that hill. Susan isn't here yet, because she's still alive. None of us have aged at all. I wonder what age Su will be when she gets here. I guess she'd be about thirty five now. It would be weird if she came at that age. None of the rest of us will ever reach it.

"Pete! Come quickly! Something is happening on the beach!" Lucy's voice yelled to me. I pounded down the steps, and joined her in the rush to the beach. This was something important, we could all feel it.

On the beach, something was making the air go all twisty. The temperature was changing from hot to cold, and back again. Aslan was standing by, looking angry. I had rarely seen him angry, which was good. He was a formidable creature to see at any time, but angry he was a horrific fright.

Something seemed to be coming from the warping area. A person.

"SUSAN!!!" Lucy screamed, running to her. It was Susan looking the same age she was as when we came to Narnia for the second time. Lucy threw her arms around Susan, and me and Ed rushed forward to do the same.

"Hi Su," I said. She stared at us all in shock.

"Narnia… I'm in Narnia again. Oh Aslan… Thank you… Thank you so much…" she broke down into a happy, crying heap. Aslan looked at her, as though he were sizing her up.

"She'll do," he muttered, turning, and heading off to the woods. Aslan had accepted Susan.

Lucy ran back up to Cair Paravell. She came back in moments, holding Susan's crown.

"Welcome back home, Queen Susan the Gentle."


End file.
